Whether you can do your job without staying organized isn’t the question. It’s how well you can do your job and how you can do it better. Employees with better organizational skills are more productive on the job, make better impressions on bosses and receive more promotions than those who keep sloppy, inefficient work habits. Instead of letting your career get derailed by careless habits, take time to get organized and, in the process, get closer to reaching your potential in the workplace.

Efficiency

You lose time searching for lost files and documents or fishing through old email to track down missing information. You also waste time switching between devices to get different information from separate places. If you are well-organized, however, you can save hours during the week and significantly increase your productivity and decrease your stress level. This comes in particularly handy if you find yourself bringing work home with you. By being organized, you might actually be able to call it a day at a reasonable time and still meet all of your deadlines.

Better Work Quality

Being organized helps you avoid costly mistakes, such as overlooking information or missing appointments. Losing track of the memo your boss gave you can mean time- and money-wasting errors. Forgetting to write down important information can cause you to have to restart a project from scratch. Consider how much easier it is to double-book yourself or forget a meeting if you keep multiple calendars instead of consolidating them into one. Getting organized helps you avoid mistakes and allows you to do your job with fewer errors.

Good Impressions

Consider the following scenarios: The president of your company and a key client walk past your desk, which looks like a disaster area; an executive stops by unexpectedly and finds your workspace well-organized and tidy. Being organized can help you make a positive impression on superiors, clients, co-workers and visitors to your company. You can earn respect on your own behalf and that of your company by maintaining professional-level organizational habits.

Future Opportunities

Those good impressions you make when the boss walks past your desk aren’t forgotten – especially if they’re part of your organized work life. Good organizational skills can show your supervisors that you are responsible, serious about your job and capable of larger tasks. When it comes time to make promotions, your name could find its way into the mix simply because you are an attentive, efficient, well-prepared employee.